CORRESPONDENCE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IV, Issue 221, 14 August 1884, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

Rev. Mr Bunn on Splrltiiiil- y ;'■■% . Ism. ■ 2 ;J TO THE EDITOR OF THE STANDARD.); SltfJ-^lf the extract produced m your issue -of night, with reference to the above, 'has been correctly reported, I can only say the rev. gentleman has made assertions which his pulpit and Church 'willni>tLprotect from challenge. How consoling to know that from such a position ho t can ..thunder forth ... with e)os „ quence, and without fear of contradiction, the condemnations contained m the Mosaic Law with reference to witchcraft, &c. Confounding ,the gifts.- of ~the^ Spirit with witchcraft, he fearlessly asserts "Spiritualism is forbidden by God." His misconception of the aims of Spiritualism, sends his mind back wandering into ghost-land, and there reminds him of his childhood's days, wh^n J nursery stories and rhymes were of no effect, unless highly sensational. §uch must hare beens the feeling of his congregation, when the revolting practice, of calling up our dear departed friends^ was so ably dealt with. What a shaking amongst the day; bones ; what a sleeplessnight for many ! Is it not lamentable that m this 19th century we can find an intelligent divine unable to distinguish; between things that differ. * He ! de- * signates . Spiritualism as an art, the practice of which is calculated to enfeeble the body, and enervate the once hearty and strong. The emaciated appearance of thoße professing to be Spiritualists was ample proof of this. Such questionable assertions may be made within' the walls of a chapel, and from the, pulpit, where the right of reply is not permitted, and where all utterances are eagerly swallowed as Gospel/ fiut I may, with all due difereqce and respect, challenge the Rev. Mr Bunn on any platform to stand up and make such an assertion, and give evidences of the truth of same. I will, however, for his especial benefit, state, without any fear of contradiction, that the results are of entirely an opposite nature. He is evidently not aware that a Medium, either Trance or Inspirational, or m fact, possessed of any gift "Spiritual," has to submit to and undergo a course of training as dictated by hia "Spirit Guide." Such training consists of almost total abstinence from meat of all kinds, intoxicating drinKs, beers, wines, &c, smoking, and m fact a most rigid observance of diet and habits generally. We are evidently coming near to the emaciating process. To accelerate this, it must be borne m mind that the Medium is not a paid servant, having six days to rest and one to labour ; but having to labour for his living.six days, aud for the good of his fellows on the seventh. ,This,. then, is the Devil's course of training ; you must not drink strong drink, you must not go to excess m diet, you must lead a highly moral life, you must m all things-trust m God, perform faithfully your duty to your tellow-man, aud m so doing you are fulfilling ,the duties to yourself. Would it not be well with the dwellers upon earth if they attended this school of. instruction, superintended by the Devil, and learn of him the way to rise above the grovelling things of earth, and bring their bodies into subjection, thereby preparing "their minds for the reception of those high and ennobling thoughts, impressions, and inspirations,; m fact, a foretaste of that which is to come. Would it not be well if the rev. gentleman would pass by. those revolting laws of Moses, and apply himself to the , /following beautiful passages, when dealing with Spiritualism :— " Now, concerning Spiritual gifts/ brethren, I would not have you ignorant. There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit, and there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all m all. . But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. The' word of wisdom, the word of knowledge; faith, gifts of healing, prophesy* dis- | cerning of Spirits, divers kinds of i tongues, working of miracles. , But the Apostle says : — Covet earnestly the best ■ gifts." How beautiful are such promises ; what a glorious prospect for the earnest seeker after truth to know that the Spirit of &pd will be poured out oh all flesh ; "our sons and our daughters shall pro : phesy, the old men dream dreams, the young men see visions, and also upon the servants and the handmaids is the Spirit being poured out at the present day. What would Moses think of Joel, the prophet/ making such an assertion as the above, m the face of his laws against witchcraft, . &c. Can my rev. friend distinguish ; betweeW the above and what Moses was driving at ; if not', we cannot expect him to discern, between Spiritualism and witchcraft Verily, there is a distinction. Verily, the power is abroad m the land. Silently are the angels oi Truth and Light talhWixig the : words of prophesy ; yet the Church cannot distinguish between things that differ! I would like t6 ca.ll attention to the differences b : f ! opinion existing with reference to. Spiritualism. Doctors are I not the only ones who differ. The Clergy differ!; all the'religious and Godworshipping, communities differ ; m all -parts of the Globe. Some will not admit I of the possibility of coraraa,nion with Spirits. A rev. gentleman m the j Wairarapalookaupon the manifestations^ i (I presume physical), as an interesting' 1 par,lpr game, and acknowledges himself to b;e the Medium, whereby t/ibles can jump about. He; asserts it is not the wojrk of the Devil, ' and that the necrp- ' mahcy of the-Old Testament and the ! se manifestations, are totally different. The Rev. Spurgeon jo of "opinion, that "the cloucL > of- witnesses," mentioned ,m. Hebrews 12th, might refer to the Spirits of the departed; and if they looked down upon us, It was good reason why we shouldpush on m our cours.e, We have others again who admit of the possibility of communion with the departed* • but they are only evil Spirits. What an I advantage an evil Spirit exercises over a gopd Spirit. How. cheering to, the pother; to. know that it is really possible jlof bad Spirits to come and influence her child after^Bhe has passed away, ai\d sheas a good Spirit, will be debaVred from coming to succour a.n,cl influenoa her beloved, one vfhat consolation is there m saoh. a.n idea Other rev. gentlenjea do. not hesitate m attributing 'the whple affair to the Devil. Yet such men aa Canon "Wilberforce, Dr Thornton, and others, at the Church Congress, positively r< commended its investigation, and expressed the hope that the Church would fairly andhouestly investigate the matter, even at the risk of sacrificing a few of the Church Dogmas. The opinions of s'ich men at th,a present day are worthy of consideration, as they rightly a.sser-t that if manifestations of the Spirit were necessary, even m the time of the Apostles, how much more so after the lapse of v a period of nfajly 2000 years. As Spiritualist^; wV welcome such opposition as the. Bunn is capable of bringirtg^Ofward ; it will, as m a previai^s instance, give an impetus, \o the. gobd r work.; We have p^nly to wait, but above all'thinJEJs let us not judge, that ,we be not judged. Jf^t.herev. <?entlem«in has investigated, and found such to be the work of the Devil, we would forthe 1 sake of humanity ask him— yea, entreat of him, not to let' his light be. placed under a bus.l^el cwxfiue his^ experience ad(yi,pe. tQ bis ccng^egafton a^oae, but poui;- if, fqr^h. to %h% "worm, every day. m, thp week, if n^QflSßary. It may be the. means, of saving 'us from this fenrful delusion, this horrible device of Satan, which may continue as.it is, at present, m dragging nearly one hundred millions of intelligent human, beings, down to desfauction. Awful thought !— l am, &c, " T. 8,. Walton,